Researcher & Former Director, Pfizer, Sweden
Sweden holds elections under the Proportional Representation (PR) system. In this system, parliamentary seats are distributed according to the proportion of votes cast. As a result, no single party can monopolise power; coalition-building becomes essential for governance.
Born out of the ruins of the Second World War in 1945, the United Nations was created with the hope of ensuring peace, justice and security for humanity. Its aim was to establish a global platform where all states would participate equally and disputes would be resolved through dialogue, not conflict. But after nearly eight decades the question arises—has the UN fulfilled its mission, or is it now standing at the edge of collapse?
Norway has just completed a national election. The entire process was transparent, peaceful and exemplary by democratic standards. After the results were announced, a remarkable political culture was on display.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, trapped in his own dilemmas and uncertainties, failed to shoulder the responsibilities of kingship. When Hamlet was paralysed by his own crisis, the future of the kingdom too stood in peril. The picture of our Bangladesh is no less grim. Fifty-four long years have passed since independence, yet we remain like Hamlet—entangled in inner conflicts and selfishness—unable to take the right decisions for the nation. The lure of comfort, indulgence and selfish desires has shackled our thinking power, while politics too is caught in a web of confusion and rivalry.
Even before the end of the DUCSU election, the JUCSU election began and is now nearing its end; but the vote counting has been going on for three days; yet election no longer means transparency or trust, but rather a stage shrouded in rumours, counter-rumours and the shadow of party politics. Meanwhile, reports are heard that although several parties including the BNP took part in the election, they later rejected it. The counting continues; but endless questions remain about what the final result will be.
If democracy is to be properly evaluated, its practice should begin in educational institutions. Especially at Dhaka University, which is called the centre of the country’s political history, the free election of student organisations is the first laboratory of democratic practice. Many had thought that this year’s DUCSU election could be a new beginning. But the reality shows that obstacles have arisen here too.